


Innocuous

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awards Presentation, Bittersweet Ending, Ceremonies, Chores, Coping, Danger, Family Feels, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Medical Trauma, Mid-Canon, Multiple Selves, Nausea, Panic, Poisoning, Protectiveness, Singing, Snakes, Surprises, Tenderness, Vomiting, Whump, Yard Work, snake bite - Freeform, treatment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 03:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15282594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Despite what Jameson has witnessed and the stories he’s been told by the others, Anti isn’t the only danger in the world that strikes at a moment’s notice. Worse, he stumbles across it when the others aren’t home, so no one is there to save him.





	Innocuous

Jameson would have screamed if he could. He had, in fact, tried, desperately hoping his voice would somehow claw its way out of the void of silence that forever surrounded him. It only stole his breath and sent salty, burning tears coursing across his cheeks as he tried to lie as still as possible. His lower leg was throbbing; he was certain he could feel it swelling with every second underneath the deep, tingly ache and the warmth of his blood as it trailed in twin rivulets toward the ground beneath him.

 _Nothing is safe_.

The others had warned him time and time again, advising him to remain aware of his surroundings, keeping an eye on things that looked suspicious and staying as far away from them as possible. He hadn’t imagined that would include the brush and leaves he was raking in the backyard. The others had left for an award ceremony that Jackieboy was a part of—something to do with saving the children of an important political figure—and while JJ had been invited with them, he’d declined the offer.

 **“The yard’s not going to clean itself!”**  he’d pointed out, shaking his head knowingly at them as he rolled up his sleeves.  **“And seeing as you rapscallions have been avoiding it, I shall be performing my sacrificial duty—otherwise it’ll never be done!”**

It had been innocuous. Anti hadn’t been seen in a few months, so Egos Incorporated hadn’t been subject to true danger since, but that didn’t mean natural hazards were any less present. As soon as he’d disturbed the brush with the rake, the tines caught on something stronger and thicker than debris. He’d hardly been given time to draw the rake back in surprise before the snake lashed out.

The searing jolt of pain as fangs found flesh was enough to take him off his feet, landing in an awkward somersault that bruised his tailbone and lower back simultaneously. He didn’t think, he reacted, scrabbling to snatch at the creature attached to his calf.

By some miracle he managed to find its tail, wrenching it up and back with panicked adrenaline. As soon as its lockjaw pried open, he flung it as far as he could, madly scuffing and gashing his arms as he dragged himself in the opposite direction, toward the porch stairs.

The fact that it didn’t come back was barely a relief; his senses were reeling with such pain, revulsion and terror that he only had moments to twist sideways before he retched into the nearby weeds. That continued until there was nothing left but shaky, panicked sobs and nausea that had somehow only worsened. To cope, he allowed his arms to give out, collapsing onto his back.

Here he was, trying to get the sickening after-sensation of the snake’s scales off his skin by curling his dirty, trembling fingers loosely into the left leg of his pants, hoping to soothe the pain radiating underneath. It  _hurt_ , it hurt so much, and his body felt weighed down by it; he still hadn’t managed to catch his breath and he couldn’t bring himself to move, not even to crawl up the porch steps toward the cellphone he had so foolishly put on the patio table.

What was it he was even meant to do for a rattlesnake bite? No one had ever told him! He was quite certain, however, that if Dr. Schneeplestein were here, he would tell him to stay calm. Every time a sob tried to escape, he clenched his teeth against it, blinking hard up at the wispy clouds overhead. He had to distract himself from it somehow. He had to think of something else,  _anything_  else but the prickly heat crawling from the wound and the cold blooming everywhere else.

There was a song. There was a song the others sang sometimes, but he couldn’t latch onto the words; his fear-addled brain couldn’t recall how any of the verses started. All he remembered was the chorus—the one Marvin and Schneep took turns soloing while washing dishes together, the one Jackie hummed under his breath as he did computer work, the one Chase belted out through the taxi window to embarrass him just before ruffling his hair.

 **“ _What is my life…?_ ”** he whispered, his speech slide flickering weakly, tremulously overhead.  **“ _Ohh…What is my life? Ohh_ …”** It was fitting and it was all he could remember, so he sang the words again, then a third time, then a fourth.

How long that went on, he didn’t know, but the clouds above him were becoming blurry and he had long since started shivering. He was dimly aware that he shouldn’t be nearly this cold on a warm summer day, but that didn’t stop his teeth from chattering. His cheeks and nose felt numb and his jaw ached, but he mouthed the words nonetheless until they were simply trickles of air leaving his wet lips.  

Jumpin’ Jiminy, he was tired, but he didn’t let his mind slip away entirely. Whenever he let that happen, it led to worse pain when he woke up. He simply watched the clouds pass, fazing out, only blinking when he could be sure he had the strength to pry his eyes back open. Ever so distantly, he heard the backdoor creak, followed by a harsh gasp and an even harsher curse before warm hands were on his shoulders.

“Jameson? Jameson, what happened?!”

After so long of gazing up at the pastel blue and white overhead, a smear of vibrant red was an assault to his eyes. Jameson shuddered, blinked as many times as he dared, and only then realized that Jackieboy’s jumpsuit had moved into his field of vision. A burst of hope made his heart quicken and his head spin as he heard the older Ego hollering for Schneeplestein.

 **“It took a nip of me,”**  he slurred, clumsily trying to gesture.

“Oh—Oh, no—” More helpless curses followed as the delightfully warm hands moved underneath his arms to hoist him up against Jackie’s chest. He was more than willing to let them until the clatter of footsteps on the porch caught his attention.

“Jackie—? Wait, no, no, put him down!” Schneep burst out. “Don’t move him!”

Despite himself, Jameson allowed another unexpected sob to tear itself free as Jackieboy hastily returned him to that cursed patch of ground, the back of his head landing none too gently. It jarred him, alarmed him, bringing a weak plea with the next string of whimpers.  **“D-Don’t leave me…”**

“We’re not going anywhere and neither are you,” Jackie promised hurriedly as Schneep scrambled around to Jameson’s other side, tearing the fabric back so he could get a look at the wound. His leg was swollen and discolored, twin trails of blood swerving and mingling in their path down his leg to the dirt.

What followed was a disorienting tangle of sound and movement as the hero and the doctor spoke over each other, voices overlapping too fast for Jameson to discern who was who.

“Tell me what to—”

“He’s in shock. Elevate his feet—gently, only a little!”

“How far?”

“No higher than his chest or the venom reaches his heart faster.”

“What kind of bite is that?”

“There is test I must do for venom types—”

“What should I—?”

“Just keep him still!”

Swallowing, struggling not to choke on the lump in his throat, Jameson trembled all the more fiercely, clenching his burning eyes shut as his mind chanted.  _Da, I want my da! That’s all I want, I just want my da! I just want—I just—_

Maybe he’d voiced his cry for Schneep and Jackie to see because when he opened his eyes again, the arm holding his feet off the ground were different and Jackie was sprinting inside to get the list of supplies Schneep was shouting after him.

“Jem, just keep calm,” Chase soothed, a hypocritical edge of panic in his voice as he reached his free hand to cup Jameson’s cheek. “It’s gonna be okay, but you need to stay still and calm for me. Can you do that?”

**“Hurts—! S-Scared…”**

“Shh, shh-shh, you don’t have to be scared! You don’t have to be scared,” Chase spoke over him, desperate to catch up with the tears that were spilling. “Schneep and I are right here and we’re gonna take care of you. You’re gonna be fine, I promise. You just keep breathing.”

 **“Ca—”** Suppressing a moan as Schneep’s hands carefully brushed over his tender, swollen skin, Jameson breathed feebly,  **“Can you sing the song?”**

“What—? What song, Jem?”

**“ _What is my life?_ ”**

Over Jameson’s head, Chase and Schneep shared an incredulous glance. Of all things, that was what he was thinking of right now? But judging by the thundering footsteps approaching, Jackie was returning with Schneep’s med kit now and what followed was undoubtedly going to be painful. If it would keep him calm…

“ _Bouncin’ around at the speed of sound_ …” Chase crooned quietly, just high enough for Jameson to latch onto underneath Schneep and Jackie’s resuming chatter as he swept the tears and dirt from his face, changing the lyrics just slightly. “ _You’re not alone…You’re not alone_.”


End file.
